I'll make it up to you
by seadragon10
Summary: Kind of sequel to "You got a tux." Fiesta all the way. It is time he keeps his promise. Thanks for encouraging me to continue that one.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** thanks to all who took the time to review my first attempt. You guys are super nice and it actually gave me the boost to write a sequel. Or sort of... We are a few episodes later in Right Next Door. He will make it up to her... eventually. :) Thanks for the reviews and enjoy till the new season starts. Angel Forest beta read it (thanks a million) so any mistakes are mine.

**A/N 2:** I still don't own them. In fact, I am not even anywhere close. I live in Norway with amazing hills, midnight suns and fjords all around me. I think Flack would love it here... :)

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**I'll make it up to you later**

She walked the streets aimlessly. She passed a TV store and without looking she knew what was on the screens. Austin and his mum finally got reunited. She felt relieved as always when she could use her science to solve a case. Maybe she didn't help before, but now she could and as a result the boy was safe with his mum. Stella was sure that though it would take some time, at the end they will both get over the trauma and pain and find ways to be a normal family again.

As she was thinking about it, her phone rang. She didn't want to pick it up, she knew it wasn't work related. _But who else would call this late?_ Slowly she fished out her cell phone to check the caller ID and her face quickly turned into a weak smile. _Of course._

"Hi Flack. What's up?"

"Hello to you, too. Just wanted to make sure you are OK."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I called the hotel and they said that you haven't been there since yesterday."

"Well, well, detective. Are you checking on me?" It came out wrong, as she was pleasantly surprised, but Flack took it as an accusation.

"Hey, calm down. As I said before, you are my friend, a very close one to be precise. I was just concerned about you, that's all."

"Look, I am sorry. I was tired and I needed some fresh air before I go back to that hotel."

"I want to be the last person to tell you to have some rest, but (and she could hear him smile)… but wouldn't it be lovely to have a hot bath, stretch out on a huge bed and switch off reality for a couple of days?"

"Yeah. That would be great." She agreed with a tired sigh. All the above sounded like a very good plan.

"Why do I hear a _but_ coming?" Stella found a bench, sat down and for a long minute she didn't reply. Flack was about to ask again when he heard her taking a deep breath.

"I just … well, it's that… I really don't want to go back to the hotel. It would remind me that I lost everything. That all I have fits in a small suitcase. That's all that's left of my life." He could barely hear her last words, but could visualize her crying face in front of his eyes and it broke his heart. He wanted to argue with her, tell her that it is so not true. That she was alive, she was safe, that she had friends. But instead he only whispered back:

"Why don't you come to my place? "

The question hung in the air for quite some time, before they both realized what has been said. He wanted only to offer a shoulder to cry on and a place to rest a bit. She needed a shoulder to cry on and a place to rest a bit. But of course she couldn't admit that.

"Stell? Still there?"

"Yes, I'm here. Don… thanks for the offer, but…" He cut her short.

"No, Stell. Not this time. You are tired, exhausted emotionally and physically. What you need now is a warm place where you can relax and forget this madness for a while. "

She was contemplating that offer. She so desperately wanted to take it, but her pride held her back.

" I tell you what. You go back to the hotel, collect your stuff and come to my place. NOW! Dinner is ready in an hour." His voice was determined and she knew that she would never win this argument.

"And after that you can fall asleep in my huge bath tub." He added to lighten the mood. He decided to convince her to come over no matter what. He offered everything to her. Dinner, a warm and friendly place, his home! The bath was his last card and when she was still silent fear entered his heart.

"Stell?" Nothing.

"Do you hear me?" _Yes, I can hear you loud and clear._ She stood up, smiling. As she started to walk towards her hotel Flack's heart warmed at the sound of her last words.

"You got me at _Hello_."

Reaching the hotel she had ran up to her room, threw everything in her bag and made her way to the reception desk. She quickly checked out, got into a cab and 40 minutes later she was standing in front of his door.

Flack stood on the other side of said door. Of course he had been standing at the window starring down the road waiting for her cab to arrive. He felt so relieved when he spotted her a few minutes earlier just as she entered his building.

He still couldn't believe it that she actually came. When he looked out the peep hole he witnessed something he never thought he would. That confident woman he learned to respect and love over the years was all but gone and left a scared and confused little girl behind.

Stella's thoughts were speeding so fast that she actually had to stop walking to catch them. She wasn't really thinking about the consequences when she checked out and gave the address to the cab driver, but now she wasn't so sure any more if it was a good idea. She turned down Mac's offer a few days ago. _So why did you say yes to Flack? _

She took a few steps away from the door. _Because he offered dinner and a bath and… _She walked back. _Yeah, right. As if you wouldn't get those things from your best friend._ Another turn and she headed to the elevator again. _Come on girl; just admit that you want to spend time with him… _"No!" She screamed quietly, but it was still audible.

In any other case Flack would have found that little display fascinating, even funny. But this was Stella and he knew, or at least could imagine, what was going through her beautiful head right now. He wanted to make it easier for her so he slowly opened the door. She was so lost in her own battle that she didn't even hear the locks move.

"You wanna come in?"

"Flack. Wow. Hi. You scared me." She jumped a little at his voice, but regained her composure in no time. Flack was beyond amazement. _How can she do that? In one second she is about to loose it and in the next she has a confident smile on her face._

"Sorry about that. I just heard noises so I opened the door."

"I see." She said, but didn't move from her spot. In fact she didn't seem to be moving any time soon so Flack being the gentleman he was, approached her.

"I am really glad you came, Stell." He said that as he easily took the bag from her and walked into his apartment hoping that she would follow. If not for him, at least for her stuff to claim them back.

She was still in a trance and though she couldn't remember giving the order to her legs to start moving, seconds later she found herself in his living room. The entrance door clicked loudly and that snapped her out of her lightheaded situation.

"Ummm, thanks."

"No problem. I put your stuff in the guest room."

"Thanks"

"You wanna drink something?" He asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah, thanks."

Flack came back with some juice and he noticed that she was responding in auto mode. Not just her words, but her actions, too. He couldn't help but reach out to her and gently touched her arm.

"Stell?"

"Yeah. I am… just… "

She looked around for the first time since she stepped inside. The flat wasn't huge, but it was cozy. It was warm and inviting, but above all, it looked like a home. A home she's just lost. Or did she ever have one? She went to the table, put the glass down and walked straight into his arms. She put her arms around his back and squeezed her body close to his.

"Thank you, Don"

Flack's surprise lasted only a second and soon he was hugging her back. It wasn't just a quick greeting between friends, it was so much more. He could feel that she was holding onto him for dear life and he thanked God for allowing him to be the one who to be there for her.

Their embrace didn't seem to loosen up, but after a minute or so he could hear her muffled cry against his shoulder. With one arm he pulled her even closer if it was possible at all and his other arm started running up and down her spine. He wanted to whisper soothing words to her ears, but he himself was fighting with tears. He came very close _again_ to losing her and it scared him more than he had admitted it to himself before.

Stella felt his hands on her back and it just made the situation worse. Finally she gave up fighting against it and she let the tension escape her body. It didn't take long to shed the first tear and once she started there was no turning back. She didn't care how childish her behavior must have looked; she lowered her arms to his waist and buried her head in his chest. Soon his shirt was wet as the uncontrollable flow washed over his torso.

They stood there for a very long time. He never stopped caressing her back and eventually her sobs stopped. She moved her head a bit away from his chest so she could look into his sad blue eyes.

"I am a well educated woman who should be able to communicate in longer-than-one-word sentences, but right now all I can say is _Thanks_."

He remained silent, but his eyes got back the sparks she loved so much and without saying a word she knew that he understood her.

Stella always thought an emotional breakdown like that would undermine her status. She was afraid of looking like a fool and feeling utterly embarrassed. However, with Flack still holding onto her she felt none of the above. She felt relieved. She felt like smiling. She lifted her right hand to wipe away her tears and she even managed to put the flirting tone back into her voice.

"So is dinner ready?"

Flack took a step back from her, but never let her hands leave his.

"You know you are the strongest woman I know and I am very glad that once I could…" He didn't know how to finish the sentence. He didn't want to say "witness your weakness" and expect to live to tell the story. He knew her better than risking his life by reminding her that it was OK to be emotionally down sometimes, but truth is he wanted her to understand that it wouldn't make her look helpless or anything less.

"…be there for me. Trust me, Don, I am glad, too. It means a lot to me to know that I can wear my emotions on my sleeve around you. It's nice for a change." She said honestly, but when she saw his lips turning into a huge grin she quickly added:

"And just for the record. Nobody would believe you should you mention it to anybody, but rest assured I will find a way to make it look like an accident."

Flack couldn't control his face any more and burst out laughing. Without thinking he dragged her closer to him and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek. "That's my Stella!"

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Hope you liked it. As soon as plot bunnies will call for meetings instead of my clients I will update it. Now it seems like a 2-3 chapter long story. Cheers!


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N.** Since you asked for the filling chapter between this and You got a tux, there you go. Hope it's not confusing. Chapter 3 will continue their date, but till then...enjoy this. Any reviews, comments are welcome so I can write more of what you really wanna read (I would wanna write about him knocking on my door...)_

_Forest Angel, you rock!_

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Chapter 2

She was glad that the flirting tone was present again in their conversations. Man, she missed it a lot during the last couple of weeks.

Of course it was a bit awkward to wake up the next morning after the Mayor's party. Her alarm clock went off way too suddenly for her liking. Usually she was useless without a coffee and a shower in the morning. Half awake she found her way to the kitchen, started the machine and walked to the bathroom.

On the other side of her bedroom, Flack woke up too. It took him a couple of minutes to explore the premises and after gathering all the possible information he concluded that he has no idea where he was. On the nightstand he found a glass of water, some painkillers and a note saying he should take some rest, eat the breakfast and relax. But the intriguing part was the last word. It was a note from…

"Stella?" He read the last word loud and let his head fall back to the pillow for a second. Flack tried hard to remember the events of the night before. _Robbery, Stella's hips, traces of smart water, Stella smiling, Batmobile, Stella in his arms, suspect nearly killing him, chas… Wait! Why do I keep thinking about her in such inappropriate ways? Oh right, I remember. She drove me home in that gorgeous dress of hers and… Gosh! She even gave me a goodnight kiss and my mind wasn't even clean. _

"That is so not fair!" He snarled as he tried to get out of bed. His head was much better, but right now all he wanted was coffee and a shower. He assumed that Stella was long gone so without even looking around he made his way to the kitchen.

He opened a few cupboards and settled quickly with a huge green mug at the kitchen table. Sipping his coffee he drifted off a bit and his mind wandered back to his promise last night. Somehow and more importantly sometime soon he needed to make the move he wanted to. The ball made him realize that she was still an amazing woman who could go out every night with another lucky bastard while he is building up the courage at home to ask her out.

Little did he know how far that was from the truth; or how close she was to him at that very moment.

The bathroom door opened and a still dripping detective walked through the hall. She had only a towel around her body and another one in her hands currently twisting it around her hair. She didn't notice him at all, but it took all Flack's willpower to concentrate on the mug at hand.

A few minutes later Stella fully dressed came into the kitchen and was surprised to see the back of one detective Flack. She allowed her eyes a quick field trip from his left hand through the strong muscles and shoulders to the right hand and finally settled at the hem of his wife beater.

Flack chose that moment to turn around and she was thankful for her trainings as she composed herself in no time.

"Good morning. How do you feel?"

"Been better I guess."

"How is the head?"

"Yeah, yeah. Getting there… Your coffee really helps a lot"

"Good to know. Why don't you just sit down and I make some breakfast for you? I was about to fix something for you anyways before I head to the lab, but you couldn't even keep one single order and stay in bed for at least a day." She walked past him and started getting ingredients out of her fridge.

"You know, I need to rephrase my previous sentence."

"Which one?" She asked while she was beating the eggs.

"You asked me how I was doing. I must say that actually I feel great." She raised an eyebrow.

"I had a wonderful date last night with a wonderful woman. I spent the night at her place and now she is making breakfast for me. I shouldn't have complained."

He walked over to her and started the stove.

"I think you got your head banged up pretty bad last night and since I am such an understanding woman I will blame that for your statement. You are lucky detective, and I hope smart enough not to repeat any of that at work. Now scoot over and slice the bread."

She was still smiling, but deep inside she was in turmoil. So she did what she did best. Put up a friendly face for the others, to cover everything up and bury those feelings inside. She was just not ready to believe that this handsome man next to her actually meant all of that.

Flack moved away a bit and was cursing himself for screwing it up again. Obviously she didn't feel anything towards him. Well, more than friendship anyways. But just as he put 100 percent into chasing bad guys and never giving up he was convinced that sooner or later his moment would come.

Breakfast was spent in a comfortable silence, every once in a while they asked the other to pass the salt or refill the mugs. All in all, it felt just… right. Both of them wished that the situation never ended, but they were both more realistic than that. Slowly the moment came and they both knew that it takes at least a bomb to stop Don Flack Jr. from going to work. Minor concussions were not even worth mentioning.

Flack decided to head home first to change since he still had his tux on and Stella couldn't help but admit it again that he looked absolutely stunning. With his bowtie in hand and a jacket folded around his arm he was the most pleasant sight she saw in a long time. _I could wake up to that every morning!_

She locked the door behind them and they walked to the elevator together. Tension was building up in both of them and he was about to make a comment, when her cell rang. She answered it and was listening carefully to Danny telling her they had a breakthrough with the car.

Once outside they are headed in different directions to their cars.

"See you later, Don" She said before she turned away and Flack stood there silently till she disappeared around the corner. He chose to ignore the pain in his heart as she walked away from him. He knew it was irrational to expect anything after last night, still he wouldn't have minded a good bye kiss. Or a hug. Or a small wave of her hand.

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The next couple of weeks were rough on both of them. It seemed that the whole city was crazier than ever and the cases that landed on his desk just fueled his frustration. In most cases they worked together and he enjoyed working with her, but it was never just a two of them. He never really got a chance to ask her out and frankly he didn't have the slightest idea how to do that even if he could.

Then the kidnapping happened. Cases, where children were involved, stayed on top of his most hated crimes list and there seemed to be no progress there. He was so focused on that bastard that at first he missed the radio call from dispatch reporting that Stella's apartment block was on fire. He only got around to seeing her the next morning and when he entered the remains of her flat he saw Stella in Mac's arms. They were friends of course, but the green eyed monster got a foot in his heart and he couldn't get rid of that jealousy for days.

He knew she could have gone to Mac, but she chose to go to a hotel. She didn't have many clothes with her and he intended to take her out for a little shopping after the case was over. Not that he particularly enjoyed shopping, but he wanted to show just how much he cared for her. Apparently that became obvious to more and more people over the week and it reached the peek when Danny overheard him in the interrogation room. He was practically yelling at a man that a woman he cares a lot about no longer has a place to live because of the fire.

Flack didn't want to lose it in front of a suspect so he quickly left the room, his blood pressure higher than the Empire States Building. He couldn't let anybody see how deep his emotions went when it came to a certain detective.

With huge steps he crossed the building and went outside for some fresh air. He ignored the stares he got from his fellow officers, but once away from everybody he let out a frustrated sigh. Flack wasn't stupid or naïve to think that the others wouldn't pick up on those telling details. Nor did he hope that her co-workers would be oblivious to the fact that recently he grabbed every possible opportunity to enter the lab. And every time he would walk around, making sure she was somewhere close by. He stopped to chat with everybody just to prolong his time on that floor. And before walking back to his desk he always dropped by her office and would casually lean against her door frame to catch up on her. Simply because he cared. A lot.

And after the case had been closed he decided that the time had finally come. He, Detective Donald Flack Jr. picked up the phone and dialed the number of the hotel with a firm determination in his mind to ask her out on a real date.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N.** _As before. Hang in there guys, just a few more days till the new season starts. Thanks Forest Angel for the beta job!_

Chapter 3.

_After the case has been closed he decided that the time had finally come. He, Detective Donald Flack Jr. picked up the phone and dialed the number of the hotel with firm determination in his mind to ask her out on a real date._

OK, maybe it wasn't really a date; nevertheless he was thrilled that in that very moment Stella was in his living room going through some pictures on the wall.

"And what about this one? Who is this cutie?" Flack had gone back to the kitchen to finish cooking, but came back to see what picture she was referring to.

"Oh, that's me when I was 5 with my dog, Brutus. You can see, he was much bigger than me and he was the most patient animal I have ever seen. I think I cried for a week when he died."

Stella was looking at him with disbelief in her eyes. Not because she didn't believe that he loved that dog, that much was obvious. The kid's blue eyes were shining so brightly as he proudly hugged his buddy. She was more surprised to see that said eyes hadn't changed at all and for the first time she really looked into Flack's blue pools.

Time seemed to stop for a second. She was looking up to his face taking in his every feature. Flack also noticed that something changed, because he didn't go back to flip the meat as he was supposed to, but stayed there gazing into her green eyes.

_It would take only a step to be in his arms…_

_It would take only a step to get her in my arms. But what's after that?_

They couldn't find out what would happen because her cell phone broke the spell. She threw an apologetic smile in his direction and headed to her bag. She wasn't surprised to see Mac's name.

"Hi Mac. How are you?"

"I think I should be the one asking that. Do you have any plans for tonight?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I found a cute chef who promised to make me something really nice then I'll head into the bathroom for an endless bath. Why?"

Of course Mac thought that she was in the hotel, nonetheless he could hear that life had returned to her voice and he was very happy for that. What he didn't know was that said chef was paying close attention to the conversation, too and what he heard made him wanna jump. _She thinks 'm cute, she thinks I'm cute!_

"That's good Stella, really good. Seems like you're actually taking my advice?"

"I guess so. But now I gotta go, something smells wonderful here. Bye Mac." She hung up the phone and walked to the kitchen.

Flack was about to put the final touch to their dinner so she cleared the table and started to look for plates. It didn't surprise her at all how well they worked together. Soon a few long candles found their way to the table as well. A minute later a bottle of wine and two glasses followed them.

If she hadn't known better she would have been taken aback by such romantic settings. _Who do I try to fool? This is Mr. New York's Finest Finest. Of course he has all the props to charm any woman._

"What is it?" Flack asked when he saw her smile disappear.

"Nothing."

"Stell, just a few minutes ago you said that it was nice to be honest for a change so I ask again. What's wrong?"

"It's really stupid"

"Come on, you know you can tell me."

"But you must promise that you won't misunderstand it." That got his attention. Tonight everything could have been easily misinterpreted so far so he just quietly nodded.

"OK. Now spit it out."

"I was just thinking about you. No, no, let me finish. I never knew this side of you. I always saw you as Detective Flack; a great cop and a good friend. But now I have a glimpse of Don the charmer. The candles, the wine, the fact that you cooked for me…"

"What's wrong with that?" Flack interrupted. He wasn't sure where she was going with that conversation.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I just… I feel so silly."

"But why?"

"Because I am jealous of those other women." Stella blurted out without thinking. When she realized what she said she quickly turned around and was desperate to find something to look busy with.

Flack couldn't believe his ears. That was practically the last thing he expected her to say. She was wrong, though. There was no space left for misunderstanding. It was damn clear!

The next second he was standing behind her unsure how to break the news to her. He tentatively put his hands on her shoulder. He felt her tense up against his palms, but at least she didn't move away. That gave him the boost he needed to continue.

"What can I do to make you see _me_? I am still the same ol' same ol' Flack who has been around you for years, secretly admiring you from afar."

Stella wasn't sure if she heard him right. She wanted to believe him, but she needed more proof of that so remained silent. She kept on starring at the door in front of her while she delighted in the fact that his breath sent teasing little shivers through her body.

"You were honest with me so prepare yourself for the same in return. I went out with girls, yes. I heard the rumors about me and my _dates_. I wouldn't even bother to correct their facts. But you know me. ... You know me, Stel. You should know that I have more and more difficulty hiding my true feelings. This fire reminded me _again_ how precious you are to me and how easily I could have lost you before I could tell you how I feel."

Stella closed her eyes to prevent the tears from falling. She was touched by his speech more than she ever thought she would be capable of. But she couldn't turn back. Not yet.

Flack leaned closer to her back and rested his forehead against her shoulder. His words were barely a whisper.

"I know it scares you, because it scares me, too. All I know is that I would love to give us a chance. If you are not sure about it yet, it's fine with me. But if you know for _sure_ that _us_ won't work give me the grace of breaking the news to me now."

"Don," she said as she slowly turned around to face him "I am terrified. You have been a stable point in my life and stood over life and death with me ever since I've know you. You have to know that I have feelings for you. Feelings that go beyond friendship. But I also know that I would never risk our friendship" And at this point he didn't know what to do: laugh or cry.

Finally she had opened up to him and even admitted that she loved him (or at least he took it like that) and with that same breath she told him that they would never be an item. He wasn't sure if he could take it.

"Can you promise me that things won't be awkward if it doesn't work out?" She quietly asked.

"No."

"Can you promise me that it will work out?"

"As much as I would love to say yes to this, again I have to say no."

"Can you promise that you will not give up on us?" At her last question he dared to look into her eyes. What he saw there gave him hope.

"This I can promise. And not just that. I can promise you to be there for you. I can promise you to take you just as far as you let me. And I can also promise you to…"

He never finished. Stella wasn't sure how much tenderness she could bare at that very moment so she chose an effective way to silence him. Her tears were running down his cheeks as their lips met for the first time. It wasn't cathartic, it wasn't hungry or passionate. It was timid, gentle and the sweetest kiss she ever experienced.

He pulled away first still not believing what had just happened. Stella Bonasera just kissed him. Not only that, but she agreed to give themselves a chance. Or at least he hoped for that. She could see the question in his eyes.

"Can we just be _us_ for a while without the others knowing it?"

"Sure, if that's what you want. But I must confess I am running out of excuses to visit the lab so often. Any ideas, detective?"

"I will think of something." She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He in return pulled her closer. They both smiled at each other before he dipped his head again for another kiss. This time they weren't as shy as before and they both took the time to explore the other's mouth.

_Oh. My. Gosh. Is it really happening or I just died and go to heaven?_ It was Stella who broke the kiss this time. Her breathing was heavy and she felt so weak she had to sit down.

"…" She opened her mouth to say something, but try as she might no words left her lips. Flack took a step back to have a better look at her face. Her hands were shaking as she tried to tuck some hair behind her ears. Her lips were trembling too and Flack was thankful for her closed eyes or he would have had to explain the smug smile on his face.

_Wow. Who would have thought that a simple kiss can turn me on like this? And heck, who would have thought that a single kiss will be enough to weaken her knees._ Not that he minded it! With any other woman he would have been anxious to brag about his "magical power over women" to Messer as soon as he had the chance. And that's where he understood it. When he was kissing all those other women he was always more concerned about impressing them than on his own feelings. But with Stella he felt that the whole kitchen flipped around its axis a couple of times. Suddenly he felt his knees weakening and before he could have fallen he dragged a chair under his legs.

They were sitting in front of each other trying hard to get the control back over their bodies and minds.

"I um…" She started.

"Yeah. I know."

"I've never…"

"Me neither." They smiled at each other over the table. Flack stretched his arm to touch her hand, but she pulled back slightly.

"I don't think it's a good idea." When she saw his surprised face, she quickly added: "For safety reasons I think it's better if we don't touch each other for a little while."

Flack's smile returned. He understood her. It would be quite a challenge to get over with dinner if they went on like that. He stood up to get the pot from the stove and he gently placed it in front of Stella. She never took her eyes off of him.

"You know, if you continue to look at me like that I will need a cold shower very very soon. As in _now_!"

"Sorry about that. Oh, wait. I am not sorry at all." She said smiling, but to be on the safe side, she blinked a few times. Mainly for her own sake. He leaned over for a really short kiss.

"That's good to know. Because I am planning to do that quite often from now on."

"Well, as long as we can keep a straight face in front of others, I don't mind."

Dinner was spent in an extremely relaxed atmosphere. Both of them felt relieved. It amazed both of them how easily they could put the last couple of days behind them. Conversation was never a problem for either of them, but tonight it seemed that every sentence was hilarious, their banter made them laugh and every touch promised something wonderful for the future.

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_Thanks guys for the reviews. They make me write faster. (haha, that's actually not true, but I like reading what you guys think... :) )_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Hei all happy people. So sorry about me not updating faster. The thing is I just moved to my new house and lots of things needed to be sorted out. Seems like I am all set now so hopefully you can enjoy it. This is a kind of filler as I need to figure it out where to take them. Any humorous situations you want to see them in before the others find out about them? Just let me know. Oh, and to keep things simple, the Rikki thing never happened.

**A/N II:** Thanks Forest Angel for the beta job.

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The next day they went to work together. This was something very new to both of them and as Flack was driving, Stella remembered the bath from the night before.

"_How come you have a huge bath tub? I never imagined you as a guy with a tub." She asked after they finished dinner and Flack reminded her of his previous offer._

"_Truth to be told, I love taking long baths especially after a rough case, However, it wasn't my idea. The previous owner wanted it I guess, because when I moved in it was still brand new."_

_Stella was thinking about the size of the bathtub. It was big enough for two people and it crossed her mind whether Don had shared it with somebody before. This got confirmed when he opened a cupboard to reveal some girly bath scents, shower gel and girly smelling shampoo. She frowned. He saw it and before she could voice her fears he grabbed her from behind. "If you want I can throw them away right now. But I kinda like the smell of that one. It reminds me of my sister." _

_She smiled and felt silly for being jealous once again. "OK then. It can stay. But the rest should go." Flack didn't wait another second, but collected every female product and took them to the trash can. While he was away, Stella put some smelly gel balls into the tub and filled it with water. She stripped all her clothes off and quickly sank into the bubbly water. _

"I told you. That bath tub is the most precious part of my flat." Flack said that without taking his eyes off the road. He stole a quick glance at her and when he saw her small smile and absent-minded look he was sure what was on her mind. He was walking back down memory lane, too.

_While he washed the dishes he heard the running water and he tried hard not to imagine Stella without her clothes but after a few futile tries he gave up. He couldn't keep the smiles off his face the entire night. He didn't know the future, but for now he was extremely happy and was determined to enjoy every single second of it. After the kitchen was clean he went back to the living room and switched the TV on. After an hour he noticed that he couldn't focus on the news because his thoughts kept going back to the woman currently naked in his bathroom. _

_He walked slowly to the door and called out to her, but there was no response. He knocked on the door and when he still didn't hear anything he got concerned. Or curious? He couldn't tell. _

"_Stell, I'm coming in now." _

_He tried to be as slow as possible to give her enough time to grab a towel or something, but eventually he needed to enter. The mirrors were blurry from the steam, but he could clearly see those famous curls. Stella's head was resting on the edge of the bathtub and to Flack's delight she was sound asleep. Her body was covered with foam, but he noticed her white flesh just above her breasts._

_Flack swallowed hard as he knelt down next to her head and gently started to stroke her face. She was only half asleep because her lips curled into a smile as soon as he touched her._

"_Hey."_

"_Hey gorgeous."_

"_I must admit that I never felt this relaxed in a long time" She said and carefully sank a bit lower into the water. She didn't want to tempt the poor guy more than he could handle. Flack didn't reply, just placed a soft kiss on her lips._

"_I brought you a huge towel that you can use and I made your bed."_

"_Is there any way you could be even more charming?" Stella smiled warmly at him as he made his way out of the bathroom, but not before taking another longing glance at her._

"_You haven't seen anything yet, gorgeous." _

And that was true. Flack was determined to spoil her just as much as she deserved. As they reached the station he stopped the car a block away from the building and turned to her.

"Would you like to walk?"

This small gesture touched her a lot. She knew Flack wouldn't compromise their fledgling relationship for anything. She wanted him to know how much it meant to her. She extended her arm and cupped his face in her palm.

"I appreciate your patience a lot, Don. It's not that don't want them to know, I just need some time to get used to the idea of having somebody in my life again."

"So I am just a somebody?" He sounded hurt but the smile in his eyes told her that he just wanted to lighten the mood.

"Exactly my problem. If you were just a somebody I would waltz into Mac's office to tell him I am happy again. But since it is you, one of his friends and also a colleague, I am not sure how he would take the news."

"Just like any other male around you I guess. With a pang of jealousy in their stomach but with a smile on their face to show that they are happy for you." He said and leaned in for a quick kiss.

"Whatever detective. So what I wanted to say is that I hope you won't mind if I act a bit indifferent around you today."

"I cannot say that I won't mind, but you set the pace and I will happily follow. Actually I think it will be fun to keep them in the dark and see how long it will take them to figure it out."

"You are such a sweetheart, Don. Do I see you later?" She asked as she got out of the car.

"You bet!"

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Stella shouldn't have worried about Mac. He was busy with an old case and practically ignored her greeting that morning. She went into her office to put down her bag and took a left turn to the break room for a coffee.

"Hey Stella. Good to see you smiling." Lindsay greeted her.

"Hey yourself. How is your day so far?"

"Not too bad. I am about to finish the paperwork and will have lunch with Danny later on."

"Oh kids. You two are so in love with each other." She said smiling at the younger woman.

"I know. It wasn't easy for me, but I had to realize that he was there for me when I needed him. Plus he is so handsome. I can honestly say that he makes me so happy."

"Yes kiddo. I can see that and I am happy for you."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" She asked back and prepared herself for the first battle.

"Anybody on the horizon?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Lindsay, I just lost my apartment. I need to find a new one and I need to get back my life in order first."

"Well, I have some friends; I can always arrange a date for you if you are interested… Of course we get Flack to run a search on the guy first." She said with a wink and Stella couldn't keep the smile off her face at the mention of her boyfriend. _Boyfriend? Wow, when exactly did he become my boyfriend? _

"From the smile on your face I assume you are interested."

"Oh no, Lindsay. Definitely not!" Stella tried hard to cover up her mistake.

"Why not? It's perfect timing. You can start a new chapter in your life with a man who understands you, appreciates you, even loves you if you let him."

"Yeah." Stella said with a dreamy voice and zoned out for a second. She imagined everything Lindsay said with Don Flack. She was indeed starting a new chapter in her life that involved a certain man she was falling for. This time she was better at hiding her smile, but Lindsay still caught her.

"Or… maybe you don't need my help since you already found a guy?" There was a knowing smile on the other woman's face that sent warning signals to her.

"What? Me? No, I wish." Stella said fully aware that she lost the game completely and next time she needed to be far more convincing.

She was about to find an excuse to leave when Mac came into the room. "Ladies, Flack just called. DB at the beach. He mentioned a shark as well so I am not sure why it belongs to us, nevertheless one of you needs to come with me. Lindsay?"

"I…um…" Lindsay didn't know how to turn down his _request_. On one hand she knew if it really wasn't a case for them, Mac wouldn't want to drag a level 3 CSI with him. On the other hand she was so looking forward to this lunch with Danny. Unexpectedly, Stella jumped to save her.

"I don't mind going." If Mac was surprised, he didn't mention it. He just nodded and started to walk towards the elevator. Stella quickly finished her coffee and followed him. Lindsay remained in her seat wondering if she should be grateful or suspicious. She chose the latter…


End file.
